Theme of the Game
by CapeOfStarryNight
Summary: In GameIndustri strange things happen all the time, and that's normal. It is, after all, an ever-changing place of creativity and innovation. Take the CPUs for an example: they are pretty weird, right? However, a new story that unfolds in GameIndustri will blow even more logic out the window.
1. Chapter 1

In GameIndustri mysterious things happen all the time, and that's normal. It is, after all, an ever-changing place of creativity and innovation. For example: Noire once won a national gaming tournament in Leanbox. Seriously, no one knows how that happened, but the real question is how she ended up there in the first place. Not even she remembers, but neither does anyone else. As for Vert, she locked herself in her room in shame.

As strange as that little anecdote may be, there are unsurprisingly more stories about the CPUs. An even stranger story is one time when Neptune actually willingly ate eggplants, although she had no idea at the time. At the Basilicom, IF had been making herself some lunch. She had to leave for a moment, which gave Neptune an opportunity to scrounge around for a snack. Apparently Neptune saw the sandwich IF had made and swiped it. After Neptune ate the whole thing, IF returned. IF promptly explained that the sandwich was her lunch, and had been waiting to use eggplants in something for a while. Neptune paled at the mentioning of eggplants and fainted. She was safely delivered to a doctor.

Perhaps one more story would do before getting into the real one, so Blanc will be the last. Everyone should know by now how Rom and Ram color in Blanc's books. Well, one day Ram saw the biggest book she had ever seen in Blanc's workspace. She immediately took it back to Rom and grabbed a box of crayons. As it turns out, coloring in the Basilicom's ledger isn't something Blanc likes her sisters to do. Because of this unfortunate incident, Lowee's budget was set so far back that Planeptune got some of their shares. It is important to know that Blanc normally never leaves out the ledger like that, and that it isn't so much a strange story as a humorous one. Rom and Ram were sentenced to dusting and cleaning the Basilicom for the rest of the week.

Now that those stories are wrapped up, let's get to the real one, shall we? Some odd traveler wandered into Planeptune's Guild building during the busiest day of the week. For reasons unknown, he asked the person at the front desk if there was a room available. You can see how this obviously caused some confusion as the Guild doesn't rent rooms, and Desk Guy just dumbfoundedly stared at the traveler.

If you want to know what happens next - well - you'll just have to find out in the next chapter, won't you? Anyways, trust me. The story gets stranger from here - and it won't just be because of the purely narrator-driven point-of-view, mind you!


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello wonderful readers! The last chapter was done solely by the narrator, whom has expressed concern for his penmanship-_

 _"I did not!"_

 _\- and has taken certain measures to ensure the rest of the story -_

 _"Most!"_

 _\- is not completely "narrator-driven." I am sure that he will give more attention to storytelling than commentary on the story in the telling. Enjoy!_

The traveler seemed to be taken aback by Desk Guy's insistence that the Guild building wasn't an inn.

"You mean you don't rent rooms? Well, now that I consider the many adventuring types lingering around the screens over there and the look on your face, you probably don't."

Desk Guy resumed his more professional demeanor.

"No, sir. The Guild only offers quests to be taken up by willing individuals whom wish to either earn a living or make a name for themselves."

"But what about those kind people who simply want to help out?"

"I would suppose they come here for quests as well, sir."

Upon hearing this, the traveler put on a smile and pointed to the screens on the other side of the room.

"Sir, I would very much like to go on a quest for all three of those reasons which you have mentioned!"

Desk Guy sighed and made a face as if to say, "Why did I ever take this job?" He then typed a few things into his terminal.

"What is your name, sir?"

Still smiling, "I don't have a real name, but you can call me Trav'lin."

"Well, Trav'lin, you don't seem to be registered with the Guild and so are not able to participate in quests. If you would like, you can take a quick examination in order to acquire a Guild ID."

Trav'lin made an excited hop into the air and exclaimed, "Yes!"

Desk Guy took out a clipboard and sighed, "Name?"

"As I said before, call me Trav'lin."

"Of course. Skills and abilities?"

Trav'lin leaned closer to Desk Guy and pulled a coin from behind his ear. He held it in the air triumphantly and asked, "Well what about that, huh?"

After staring with apparent disdain at the coin, Desk Guy let out a third sigh and asked, "Anything else?"

Trav'lin thought for a moment.

"Well, I can use pretty much any weapon or magic there is, has been, or ever will be."

Desk Guy put a hand to his head, then asked, "Any experience with adventuring and/or professional questing?"

In one confident exclamation, "None what-so-ever!"

Desk Guy typed some more things into his terminal and a card was produced from a slot in the desk. Trav'lin was given the card and the paper from the clipboard.

"This card will serve as your Guild ID. Take the form over to the questing officer by the screens and he will let you take quests. Good day, sir."

Desk guy immediately turned to help someone else and Trav'lin walked over to the questing officer. His form delivered, he approached one of the screens. A wide variety of quests were available, from recovering stolen items to eliminating monster infestations. Heck, there were even a few old ladies asking for someone to help them find their missing cats! Trav'lin seemed to have a hard time choosing what to do, but then he found the perfect starting quest. A wide smile stole over his face as he selected a request for a guard at a mine. He swiped his card through the reader and looked at his reflection in the monitor to adjust his gray cloak and hat, then set off out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello, this is the narrator. Those of you that made it to chapter three: good job, I guess. Just keep on moving on through the story. We all know that it's me that keeps the story interesting, am I right?_

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Nothing sir! Just getting along with the next chapter."_

In the commercial district, Trav'lin could be seen skipping merrily down the street. It was surely an odd sight: a great many shoppers stopped to stare at him as he passed, some nearly dropping what they carried. One of the the shoppers was thwapped on the face by Trav'lin's cloak during an exceptionally jubilant stride. The girl rubbed the side of her face as Trav'lin boarded an escalator leading to a "transport tube." She watched him enter the tube alongside the other passengers. Trav'lin noticed the girl looking at him from below, and happily waved at her as he was carried away.

Trav'lin was so energetic that he couldn't stop swinging his arms back and forth, to the annoyance of other passengers. He also looked at everything outside the tube with wide, excited eyes: the skyscrapers, the flying vehicles, the Basilicom! All of it filled him with apparent wonder, but of course everyone else simply thought him to be crazy.

The man behind Trav'lin tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, could you stop squirming around? It's getting on my nerves."

Trav'lin turned to face him. The man was tall and looked strong, intimidating the people around him.

Trav'lin gave him a bright smile and said, "Hello mister! Don't you think today is a nice day?"

The man gave a look of surprise, then followed up his previous statement with, "Look kid, I'm not trying to be-"

"Oh look! There it is!"

Trav'lin was excitedly pointing to a boarding escalator up ahead. Relieved, the man backed down with a grumble. Trav'lin exited the tube, rode the escalator down, and set off toward the city exit.

Needless to say, more skipping ensued. Guards held a checkpoint for ground traffic on the road leading out of the city. They wore Planeptune's colors: purple, with some white and blue. Unfortunately, Trav'lin didn't even make it to the checkpoint before getting stopped.

"Hey!"

The girl from before ran up to him, holding a pipe and looking very, very angry.

"You shouldn't be running around and causing trouble, or trouble might come to you."

"Oh, hi! You're that girl from the escalator! What's wrong with your cheek there?"

Trav'lin's comment seemed to set off a dangerous reaction. The girl gripped her pipe tighter, her face turning red-hot like fire.

"What happened? I'll tell ya what happened punk, your dopey skipping made you bump into me!"

Trav'lin took no heed of her anger, and looked at her.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but that's a cool pipe!"

Her expression relaxed a little.

"Yeah, I was thinking about getting something like-"

"Well, gotta go!"

Trav'lin sped off toward the checkpoint, leaving the mouse-hat girl talking to herself.

"Hey!"

A guard stopped Trav'lin just before he rushed by. Holding an electric baton menacingly, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Who, me? Oh, I'm just going to the mine directly south of here. You know, the new one?"

"I am aware of the new mine, but I need to see some identification before you leave."

"What identification? Would this count?"

Trav'lin pulled out his Guild ID. The guard took it from him and slid it through a reader.

"Well, it's not an official Planeptune ID but it'll work just as well. Alright everyone! Let him through."

The guard gave the ID back, and Trav'lin ran off just as Mouse-Hat girl reached the checkpoint. It seemed as though she didn't intend to pass through, and she scowled at the now distant Trav'lin.


	4. Chapter 4

_Ladies and gentlemen, we've gotten a letter in the mail today. An up and coming apprentice from the Narration and Writing academy apparently wants to join in on telling the story. Naturally, we accepted, and he will likely be here by the time we get started on chapter five. It's not everyday we get an opportunity like this, after all._

 _"Can I start narrating now?"_

 _"Yes. Yes you can."_

Trav'lin's journey from the city of Planeptune was quite boring, actually. The only thing that he was able to see, for miles around, was tall green grass. The road leading south from Planeptune was beaten and worn from the constant traffic flowing in and out of the city. In fact, the strange glassy material making it up was scratched and flawed in many areas. There were a few dirt roads branching off to the sides, leading to farms and small communities. As Trav'lin passed each one, there was usually a friendly traveller making his way north, carrying crops, bags of raw materials, or even hauling a monster or two behind him.

Trav'lin was walking behind a group of fellow southgoers, probably a troop of adventurers judging by the weapons and gear they carried. They must have been high-ranking Guild members too, because their group seemed to march on with discipline and complete order. It wasn't long before the adventurers took a path leading off of the road and left Trav'lin by himself.

As uneventful as the journey was, Trav'lin kept a smile on his face. He had a quest to finish!

"And it's gonna be great!" Trav'lin exclaimed with a flourish.

 _"Hey, wait a second. Did he just address the narrator?"_

 _"You mean he was talking to me?"_

"Of course I was talking to you! Who else is there to talk to?"

 _"I don't think this is supposed to happen."_

 _"That doesn't matter now! The story needs to continue, just keep going."_

 _"I don't know, this is kind of creepy."_

"Just keep going! I won't talk to you too much, I promise!"

 _"Well, the story must continue..."_

Unfortunately for Trav'lin, some dark clouds began to form on the horizon. It was obvious that a storm was brewing, and he needed to find shelter soon.

"Actually, I quite like the rain."

 _"Hey, I'm narrating here."_

"Sorry."

Nothing around him could provide protection from the elements. Having no choice but to push forward, Trav'lin kept moving down the road. He hadn't expected a storm to form so quickly, and such an occurrence was unusual within Planeptune's boundaries. Traffic on the road had appropriately decreased, and Trav'lin didn't see anyone else from then on. He quickened his pace to a jog.

Trav'lin made enough progress to see the first trees of the forest the new mine was located in. The storm was closer now, and it had begun to rain. Distant thunder boomed up ahead, and the wind picked up, causing the trees to sway. Puddles of water formed everywhere and made the road slick. He looked up at the sky in dissapointment. There was nowhere to wait out the storm, and staying on the road was his only choice.

"If only there was some respite from this unfortunate inconvenience. Oh wait, there's a place!"

A very conveniently placed inn appeared up ahead of him. It wasn't very large, but a warm light was shining in the windows. Ecstatic, Trav'lin bounded toward it, ignoring the perils of the storm. He skidded to a halt in front of the door, and opened it. Inside was an arrangement of crude wooden chairs and tables, a lit stone hearth, and a countertop along one wall. There was also a group of men assembled on one side of the room.

Still smiling, Trav'lin settled himself in the chair closest to the door and tipped his hat over his eyes. The men stared at him, their attention drawn. The barmaid came over to him and asked, "Do ya need anything?"

Trav'lin looked at her from under his hat and replied, "Yes. Got any apple juice?"

The group of men laughed hysterically, and the barmaid looked at him quizzically.

"Are ya sure?"

Trav'lin stifled a giggle. "Yes."

"Alright, I'll check in the back."

Trav'lin got comfortable in his chair, leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head. The men continued to snicker and talk quietly among themselves. Meanwhile, the storm continued outside. It was coming in full force now, and the rickety inn was battered by the wind, yet somehow withstanding everything. The rain beat down on the roof and was complemented by the sound of thunder. Heated by the fire from the hearth, the inn was cozy enough for everyone inside, especially Trav'lin.

The barmaid came back with a jar. She set it down on the table and, resisting the urge to smile, said, "Enjoy."

Trav'lin leaned forward and picked up the jar. He took a sip and settled into his chair again, ignoring the mocking looks from the men. Even with the storm raging outside, he felt fairly comfortable. His chair creaked as he adjusted himself. It was going to be a long night.

Eventually, Trav'lin worked through the whole jar of apple juice, and walked over to the counter. He set the jar down, and the man sitting behind the counter took it. The man seemed unsure of Trav'lin. Putting down 30 credits on the counter, Trav'lin said, "I believe this will pay for the juice and a room for the night."

He grinned at the man, and the man took the credits. Trav'lin walked down the short hallway from the counter. Entering the last door on the left, he leaped onto the bed, making a loud sqeaking sound. The room was furnished with a table and chair, a desk, and a lamp on the wall, aside from the bed. It was simple, but Trav'lin was only thinking about getting to sleep, and the day ahead.

 _"Alright. This was a strange chapter."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean that the main character spoke to me. It's a story, and I don't think that anything in a story should be able to speak to or address anyone outside of it."_

 _"Well, this story is supposed to be strange."_

 _"Yes, but why was this chapter written differently from the earlier ones?"_

 _"I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _"Are you kidding! It's because of the apprentice coming here, isn't it?"_

 _"No..."_


End file.
